Wet Thursday

Well Bella is fixed although I wonder how really necessary the new brake discs were. Bho has said I can collect the old ones for some garden sculpture which I will do later today. Fir was busy packing last night with the energy of Koroi behind her, but with no packing tape (essential!) it was a heartless job so I left  them to it and went to bed after having had severe stomach pains again at the Scottish dance night. There was also a new dancer there, an interesting Asian man who dances very well. Nice addition to our older mob. I was welcomed back nicely by all except the president who couldn't raise a smile to greet a baby!

Today is the day I must start advertising for the new housemates..it may take longer as it is still winter when not a lot of moving seems to happen. But we'll see, I am quietly confident. Last night at HU also a new man appeared called Malcolm, a voice silken like a Turkish rug, he was a former radio broadcaster with the BBC and introduced by dear Gwyneth. He looks seriously like a possible ECKist in the near future.

Regular little helper with his phone

Wet day at Memphis

Europe in real crisiswith thousands of refugees storming out of Syria into Germany and Hungary. But they are being turned back with no visas and some with no passports. They are desperate and Europe doesn't know what to do with them. The future is bleak in Europe and the rest of the world will be adversely affected as a result of this. Angela Merkel can't take all the blame but Germany with its thriving economy is the drawcard.

How lucky are we in the Antipodes to be so far away from all this trouble and warfare, much of it created by the warring Islamic factions. Syria is now a lost and ruined country, what a tragedy.

Pope making moves to liberate women

Assange getting smelly in Knightsbridge!

A quick visit to Body Positive is not a happy encounter. Death is in the air and the manager is repeating platitudes which have no force or meaning. His job has been something of a sinecure and now it has gone he is legless and worried, as at his age new jobs can be difficult to secure. He has a good presentation however, and knowing the right people he may well find himself a suitable job.

In a way it is a salutary change for me, as I will now have a freer calendar to do other stuff like Toastmasters which I had already envisaged doing. Fridays, before totally devoted to BP, are now totally free. Yay!

Just back from a stimulating swim at the new outdoor venue at Thorndon. It is quite a heritage pool and fun to swim in with the cold air  stimulting the body after the heated water. I arrived late so was only able to do half an hour which suited me just fine. Gareth the coach is a very sympathetic young man and treats me like his father - he doesn't push me, which is great. Gave a lift home to a young Indian who really should have taken the bus, it was miles out of my way. Won't do that again, but it was my good deed for the day I suppose.

 Tomorrow is Fir's date for the removalist, and is also when I will cook a chicken for her last meal, but it will have to be late, after my Satsang which finishes at eight o'clock at Flashdog Studios. She then leaves very early Saturday morning taking the first ferry to the South Island to begin her new job, and her new life. Koroi has now brightly told me he is one of four finalists in the Asian Journalist Awards, it is quite an achievement, I assured him. In two weeks he will also be gone.